POLL | What should the department of arts and culture do with the R22m earmarked for the flag project?

Suggestions on how the department of sports, arts and culture should use the R22m earmarked for a “monumental” flag have been flooding in after the department announced it would review the project.

The department had budgeted R17m for the installation of the flag and R5m for geotechnical studies. It said the flag would serve as a national landmark and tourist attraction.

Amid a backlash, the ministry on Thursday announced minister Nathi Mthethwa had directed his department to review the project. 

“Over the past few days the minister of sport, arts and culture has followed and taken note of public discourse that has unfolded in respect of the envisaged monumental flag.

“The diversity of voices around this important heritage project are a welcome celebration of our country’s vibrant constitutional democracy and the freedoms that must be upheld beyond posterity. It also bodes well for one of the pillars of social cohesion which is an active citizenry.

“In upholding these ethos and the inalienable rights of citizens to be heard, the minister of sport, arts and culture has directed his department to review the process related to the monumental flag in its totality.” 

There have been several suggestions on how the R22m earmarked for the project could be used, from improving sporting facilities to helping artist in distress.

Among the many suggestions, Cosatu said the money could be used to pay nurses, doctors, teachers, police officers and other hard-working public servants who’ve had their salaries frozen since 2020. 

The DA suggested the money be used to:

1. support or sponsor local sporting events or theatre productions, particularly those cancelled due to Covid-19 lockdowns;
2. a one-time donation to arts and cultural activities such as school choir competitions;
3. assist in the restoration of historic museums on the verge of closure;
4. one-time contribution to prize money in sports, such as boxing and ultra-marathons; and
5. inject funds to pay artists who perform at music festivals.

The EFF said “the money can be used to develop local sports, invest in women’s football or create long-lasting infrastructure for the creative industry”.

Actress Sonia Mbhele said “many ideas are dying on laptops” because of the department not being able to fund them. Lerato Mvelase questioned why the money was not going to help struggling artists who were not seen or heard by the government.

“How is this happening when creatives are hungry and disempowered? How is this money not going towards projects that keep creatives from being depressed and committing suicide? How are we not talking about development and sustainability of this so called business? I’m overwhelmed by how we are not seen and never heard,” she said.

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